2024-w2106 - 24 December 2024

I have been informed by the Department as follows:-

A monitoring report of the Digital Economy Masterplan, covering the period of April 2021 to December 2023, was completed in April 2024, with the following progress reported:

1. In terms of expanded connectivity, the following achievements were realised, as per the SA Connect Report:

• There was 750 714 household coverage;
• The SABC Over-The-Top (OTT) platform was developed and ensured online access for some broadcasting services;
• 4490 Wi-Fi hotspots were established; and,
• 29 092 public service institutions/facilities were connected.

1. Skilling and Job Placements
   1. Skilling

A total of 353 691 individuals were trained nationally by different institutions and organisations. Associated initiatives involved NEMISA (34 990), MyTechie (2 500), Digify Africa (35 750), Huawei (3 312), Airbnb South Africa (2 649), Microsoft (244 140), ICASA (50) and Colab for Inclusion and Social Innovation at the University of the Western Cape (30 000).

The core objectives were:

• re-upskilling those already in the workforce;
• providing skills for work programmes;
• introducing demand-led digital skill courses to increase technical competency;
• promoting digital literacy and providing training in digital transformation in emerging technology skills;
• training citizens in basic digital literacy;
• employing unemployed youth as ambassadors;
• accelerating software development skills and employment creation for unemployed and underemployed youth;
• training young Africans in skills that are in demand and which enable them to create sustainable livelihoods in the digital economy and contribute towards the reduction of youth unemployment;
• develop ICT talent through targeted training for university students and the provision of top-up digital skills to NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) and thus helping individuals to transition into employment; and,
• focus on supporting women to transition into self or wage employment and provide labour market services to TVET graduates and NEETs.

As the above shows, the focus areas were preparing young, unemployed people to take up work, upskill those already in the workforce and providing digital literacy training as well as ICT tertiary education.

The provincial impact under the Ya Rona Digital Ambassadors Programme by NEMISA, for example, were as follows:

• 2020/21: 4 000 were trained in rural KwaZulu-Natal
• 2021/22: Over 14 000 citizens trained in basic digital literacy in rural areas within the Free State and Limpopo
• 2022/23: Over 15 000 were trained in basic digital literacy in rural areas in the North West, Limpopo and Eastern Cape
• 2023/24: Projected to train over 15 000 citizens in basic digital literacy across 15 TVET colleges once complete

2.2 Job Placements

A total of 10 158 individuals were placed through, among others, NEMISA (364), Colab for Inclusion and Social Innovation at the University of the Western Cape (200), Digify Africa (465), GIZ (1 300), Airbnb South Africa (1 841), Microsoft (1 188) and Samsung (300).

3. A total of 15 650 SMMEs were supported and trained with 76 being contracted by the Department for its broadband rollout initiative. Additional initiatives saw 15 000 trained through Digify Africa while Microsoft trained 100 SMMEs and 550 were trained through MyTechie.

4. 535 Tech startups were supported nationally by the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA).

5. A total of R44.4-billion was spent on infrastructure investment and this amount includes both private and public sector investments.

AUTHORISED FOR SUBMISSION BY

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MR JUSTICE LIBAGO

ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL

DATE:

RECOMMENDED/NOT RECOMMENDED

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HON. MONDLI GUNGUBELE, MP

DEPUTY MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

DATE:

APPROVED/ NOT APPROVED

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HON. SOLLY MALATSI, MP

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

DATE: